Free Republic

JERUSALEM, Israel – The US military operation that resulted in the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was dedicated to Kayla Mueller, a young Christian woman who was kidnapped, tortured, and murdered by the Islamic State. Mueller, 26, was abducted by ISIS in August 2013 in Aleppo, Syria while serving on a humanitarian mission with Doctors Without Borders. US officials said Baghdadi tortured and repeatedly raped her at his compound before announcing in 2015 that she died in captivity. Her body has never been recovered. White House National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien told NBC's Meet the Press" on Sunday...

(Christian News Alerts) – Puerto Rico was devastated by Hurricane Maria, and relief efforts have been slowed down by the physical barriers of flooding, fallen trees, and destroyed infrastructure. The limited movement caused by these challenges has led to accusations of negligence by detractors of the Trump administration. Internal issues with Puerto Rican elected officials is also hindering the recovery work. According to the Daily Caller, the US federal prosecutor in Puerto Rico is now investigating government officials who did not deliver hurricane relief to the island’s residents. There is even a case of one Puerto Rican politician who was...

Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory of 3.4 million people, struggled through a tenth day with virtually no electricity, patchy communications and shortages of fuel, clean water and other essentials in the wake of Hurricane Maria, the most powerful storm to hit the island in nearly 90 years. The storm struck on Sept. 20 with lethal, roof-ripping force and torrential rains that caused widespread flooding and heavily damaged homes, roads and other infrastructure. These are the resources deployed by the United States to Puerto Rico as of Friday

The reason for truck drivers not showing up? The Puerto Rican Teamsters Union, Frente Amplio, is refusing to move the product. Report: Puerto Rico Teamsters Union, “Frente Amplio”, Refuse to Deliver Supplies – Use Hurricane Maria as Contract Leverage… Puerto Rican born and raised, Colonel Michael A. Valle (”Torch”), Commander, 101st Air and Space Operations Group, and Director of the Joint Air Component Coordination Element, 1st Air Force, responsible for Hurricane Maria relief efforts, has the following comment: …They have the generators, water, food, medicine, and fuel on the ground, yet the supplies are not moving across the island as...

Hi all. Puerto Rico WAS NOT blown back to the middle ages, Matt Drudge. Most of our buildings are built of reinforced concrete. The rest is claen up, restore services, and let nature heal itself. There are no riots, no looting, roads are being cleaned. It will take a long time to restore everything, but we should be back real soon. I mean. Old San Juan is still there, the beaches are still there. The Rainforest will restore itself after many years of overgrowth. We will be back real soon. JUST SEND ICE! I don't care what anyone says, we...

RUSH: Trump’s down in Florida, gets off the airplane and goes… (scoffs) Folks, you know what I just saw? They’re passing out bananas in the food tent. Trump and Melania and the team, they’re passing out bananas. You know what this gonna lead to? You know damn well what this is gonna lead to. I got a bad feeling. BREAK TRANSCRIPT RUSH: No, bananas are actually the perfect food for the weather conditions in Florida, for heat and humidity. For replenishing electrolytes and the things that are necessary to keep your body functioning, bananas are the perfect food. You may...

Following the devastating flooding and aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, we’ve seen countless stories of rescues and donations pouring in from across the country. In addition to government entities like FEMA and the National Guard, individuals, corporations, and citizen groups are pitching in to help those affected by Harvey. Here’s a snapshot of only a few of the good deeds done: Bass Pro Shops donated eighty boats and $40,000 worth of relief supplies.“Madea” creator, actor, director and producer Tyler Perry pledged $1 million to relief efforts, $250,000 of which to go to Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church.Football player J.J. Watt led a social...

More than 70,000 people have signed a petition to rename a Texas highway after Houston Texans star J.J. Watt due to his efforts in raising millions for Hurricane Harvey victims. The petition, which was created on Change.org Friday, calls on Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to rename State Highway 99 the J.J. Watt Parkway. [Snip] "JJ Watt has been an exemplary humanitarian and Houstonian," the petition states. "He has given to our great city more than we could ever have asked for! As a token of our appreciation not only should (State Highway) 99 bear his...

President Trump plans to donate $1 million of his personal fortune to help victims of Hurricane Harvey White House Press Secretary, Sarah Sanders said Thursday.

File this under “They’re so predictable we can write the headlines for them before an event actually occurs.” While reporters spun George W. Bush as callously staying away from Hurricane Katrina, MSNBC’s Katy Turn on Monday whined about Hurricane Harvey: “[Donald Trump is] going to Texas tomorrow and there's real concern that his going there is going to have to divert, at least a little bit, some resources away from the rescue effort and toward him.” – Newsbusters I’ve come to expect so little from Deep State Media that when I heard another talking head say  “Trump is looking at...

On Wednesday and Thursday nights, FNC’s The Five co-host Greg Gutfeld offered moving commentaries about how the liberal media’s attempts to indict the American people as perpetually divided have utterly failed as exhibited by the Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts. Gutfeld also discussed how Harvey has shown that the basic safety of each and every person in the face of death is what matters and not petty debates like replacing Columbus Day and taking down Confederate Statues. Gutfeld: Harvey Response Shows Americans 'Aren't What the Media Says We Are'“So, you know else takes a hit when disaster strikes? Opinions slingers like...

White House: Trump will donate $1 million to Harvey relief

Not trying to play politics or be cynical. Just saying Mexico is on the border with Texas and share a long history with them. Have Mexico provided any relief efforts or aid in the aftermath of Harvey? Did they even send any condolences? Did any of their leaders make statements about the tragedy and offer to assist the United States in any way, shape or form? Did they offer to postpone the NAFTA renegotiation talks and told Trump now's not a good time, go take care of your peeps? Have the Mexican cartels or border crossers simply said out of...

On Sunday, as Hurricane Harvey began to crush parts of Texas, Joel Osteen, pastor of Houston megachurch Lakewood, tweeted that his church was “inaccessible due to severe flooding,” and then let his Twitter followers know that they could go to an area shelter should they need help. Followers who were near the church then took video and photos of the “severe flooding” to show that the roads and entrance to the church were actually accessible. Those on Twitter then began bashing the pastor, who quickly blocked those on social media who called him out. Lakewood church staff began posting photos...

Droves of people turn out to watch Republican nominee hand out water bottles and diapers as locals commend his efforts: ‘This is his stomping grounds’ The post-disaster politicking got under way in earnest on Friday, as Donald Trump appeared in flood-stricken Louisiana to give his image a presidential burnish, and as the White House announced Barack Obama would tour the area next Tuesday. A day earlier Louisiana’s governor, John Bel Edwards, had warned Trump not to show up in Louisiana “for a photo op”. Instead, he said, Trump should volunteer and make donations. Edwards also defended the delayed visit by...

A planned cessation of hostilities in Syria from Saturday night should rescue the civilian population from 'the abyss', Jan Egeland, chairman of a humanitarian task force, says. Major and regional powers must use their influence on warring parties to win clearance for UN aid convoys to reach all 480,000 living in besieged towns, he said after the group held their third meeting in Geneva this month. 'We need to cover the final areas in the besieged areas list, most of them are in the areas called eastern Ghouta. And we will be doing convoys in the coming days to this...

The latest batch of publicly-released State Department emails provide more evidence that a $10 million loan from the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) to Clinton Foundation donor Claudio Osorio was made as a result of pressure from Bill and Hillary Clinton. The loan to a company named InnoVida, owned by Osorio, was supposed to be for building houses in earthquake-ravaged Haiti, but Osorio used the money to finance a lavish lifestyle. Osorio is currently in prison for fraud. OPIC is an independent agency but submits its budget through the State Department. The Clintons’ efforts to push the OPIC loan...

Sister Diana Momeka encounters stories like this on a daily basis. A mother came to her the other day, desperate for answers. She couldn't get her four-year-old son to eat. He couldn't sleep at night. His bones ached constantly. And the medicine he was taking was no help. In ways, the boy is a metaphor for the larger Christian community in Iraq—100,000-plus souls still wondering what will happen to them, more than a year after an Islamist movement forced them from Mosul and the Nineveh Plain. Once industrious, hard-working, proud homeowners, the sons and daughters of a millennia-old Christian...

With flash flood warnings waking residents of America's fourth largest city today, yesterday's hope of receding waters have hampered volunteers who are waiting to descend on the city to help. "The water has to go down before we can do anything, but when it does we will be quick to mobilize our recovery and feeding units," Scottie Stice, director of Disaster Relief Ministries for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention told Christian Examiner early this morning. Floodwaters had begun to recede in Houston, according to reports by the city's Mayor Annise Parker. But the rivers and Bayous needed at least...

What kind of man or woman risks their lives for strangers? Eric Seaman of Murrieta, Calif., was 30. He had two children, and was a U.S. Marine sergeant. His wife, Samantha Seaman, told CNN, "Last week I got an email telling me that he felt purpose and that he delivered 10,000 pounds of rice ... and I know that right before he passed away, I know that he helped somebody."